Lead C&I Principal Engineer

Airswift; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Airswift seeks a Lead C&I Principal Engineer in Manchester to lead instrumentation and control engineering across conceptual studies through detailed design. The role involves budget oversight, interfacing with clients and project teams, and delivering safe, compliant solutions for Chemical, Petrochemical, Oil & Gas, Power and Energy Transition projects.

You will manage UK projects to UK standards, coordinate global delivery teams, and drive instrumentation deliverables, including DCS, PLC and

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in instrument engineering design on medium to large capital projects.
• Experience in Chemical, Petrochemical and Oil & Gas industries.
• Experience delivering UK projects using UK standards.
• Experience leading discipline interfaces with other engineering disciplines.
• Experience working with global delivery teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead control and instrumentation engineers and designers based in the UK and globally through all phases of project delivery, ensuring high standards of performance and timely completion.
• Develop, manage and control project budgets to support cost efficiency while maintaining quality.
• Support both project and proposal activity, ensuring technical approach and continuity are aligned.
• Deliver work across conceptual studies, basic FEED and detailed design phases.
• Contribute to projects and proposals for process plants and facilities across the Chemical, Oil & Gas, Power and Energy Transition sectors.
• Produce instrument engineering deliverables as required on a project‑by‑project basis.
• Interface effectively with client engineers and project management teams.
• Support equipment specification and selection, ensuring supplier compliance.
• Monitor and report on budget and schedule performance.
• Apply design safety and constructability principles throughout delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Budget management

Stakeholder liaison

P&ID development

DCS/PLC/SIS

Hazardous area

Instrumentation design

Project delivery

Education

TUV FS Engineer qualification

Tools

DCS

PLC

SIS

Job description

Job Title: Lead C&I Principal Engineer

Duration: 12 Months

Location: Manchester - with occasional site visits required to Immingham

This opportunity supports project delivery within the downstream Oil & Gas sector, with involvement across Chemical, Petrochemical, Power and Energy Transition projects. The role offers broad technical scope across conceptual studies, FEED and detailed design, with a strong focus on control and instrumentation engineering, budget oversight and integrated team leadership. This position will suit candidates with strong EPC project delivery experience and deep expertise in DCS, PLC, SIS and hazardous area instrumentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead control and instrumentation engineers and designers based in the UK and globally through all phases of project delivery, ensuring high standards of performance and timely completion.
• Develop, manage and control project budgets to support cost efficiency while maintaining quality.
• Support both project and proposal activity, ensuring technical approach and continuity are aligned.
• Deliver work across conceptual studies, basic FEED and detailed design phases.
• Contribute to projects and proposals for process plants and facilities across the Chemical, Oil & Gas, Power and Energy Transition sectors.
• Produce instrument engineering deliverables as required on a project‑by‑project basis.
• Interface effectively with client engineers and project management teams.
• Support equipment specification and selection, ensuring supplier compliance.
• Monitor and report on budget and schedule performance.
• Apply design safety and constructability principles throughout delivery.

Required Experience

• Extensive experience in instrument engineering design on medium to large capital projects from concept through to start-up.
• Extensive experience in the Chemical, Petrochemical and Oil & Gas industries.
• Experience delivering UK projects using UK standards.
• Experience working within the control and instrumentation discipline of a contracting organisation.
• Experience leading discipline interfaces with other engineering disciplines.
• Experience working with global integrated delivery teams.
• Strong leadership experience across project budget, schedule and resource management.

Required Skills

• Strong communication skills with a proactive approach to stakeholder liaison.
• Capability in equipment specification, technical bid analysis and requisitioning of field instrumentation and analysers.
• Knowledge of DCS, PLC and SIS systems across the full system lifecycle.
• Capability in hazardous area instrumentation design and implementation in line with ATEX requirements.
• Understanding of instrumentation and control requirements for mechanical packages.
• Capability in P&ID development.
• Capability in sizing flow devices, control valves and relief devices.
• Knowledge of electrical protection methodologies.
• Ability to work to company standards and apply innovation where appropriate.
• Competence in project execution using relevant design tools and techniques.

Preferred Education & Certifications

• TUV FS Engineer qualification or equivalent (Preferred).

Preferred Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Refinery experience (Preferred).

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